Analysis Of The Glass Castle By Jeanette Walls

Part A: Plot

1) The memoir, “The Glass Castle”, by Jeanette Walls is told in the first person point of view. Miss Walls chose to make use of this perspective as it best complements the plot of the novel since it is a memoir. The novel is told through the eyes of the author, who is the protagonist, and remembers the memoir in chronological order. The novel is only told in the perspective of Jeanette exclusively as she travels through the United States with her dysfunctional family, living in intolerable conditions. The first person point of view shows details in an uncomplicated way so the reader does not get confused, and stays to read the novel. I believe the main reason Ms. Walls chose to write the novel in the first person point of

I will only focus on the theme of forgiveness. Throughout the novel, Jeanette has tried to forgive and forget the mistakes that her parents have made. One of the major things that Jeanette has let go is her father’s binge drinking. I believe none else is to blame but her father’s addiction to alcohol, either he is gambling or he is drunk most of the novel. Another factor that Jeanette tries to put aside are the poor and misguided choices both her father and mother make together. This can be proven by the fact that his mother is always manipulated by Rex in to doing something thoughtless and immoral for the kids. Every month or so the “head” of the family, Rex, would decide that the “FBI” is after them, because of this he did something called the “skedaddle”. This was basically the act of running away from bill collectors. Whenever the family did the “skedaddle”, the children were the most to suffer. No food in their stomachs, and sleeping in cardboard boxes, still Jeanette found it inside of her to forgive her parents. Forgiveness is a great tool when it is used in the right way, but it seems that Jeanette was using it every time the parents made a life effecting choice. Most of the time Rex Walls was drunk or in the bar gambling to get a few dollars, he

I would have to say that Jeanette had the most patience out of everyone in the novel. If Lori had not been motivated to get Jeanette to move to New York I think that Jeanette would have lived the rest of her life bickering and stealing food. The part that I enjoyed most in the whole novel would have to be “Part II || The Desert”. I really enjoyed reading and analyzing the fun time the Walls family had doing the “skedaddle”. The way the novel is written is amazing as it feels like I am there, living in Welch in a tiny little house on 93 Little Hobart Street. But what I enjoyed the most was the retelling of Jeanette’s life. I felt that I could connect with her thoughts and especially her mood, which changed throughout the whole book. During the beginning of the novel, Jeanette thinks very highly of her father, Rex Walls, she literally idolizes him in a manner that seems ridicules, but as we progress Jeanette has changed views about her father, she starts to question whether he is right or wrong. If I was to decide what type of a character Jeanette was I would most likely say that she is a “dynamic” character. I noticed this when I was reading the novel and thought that this is a good point to add because as I said earlier her characteristics and her traits slowly change and progress until she is a young woman